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"We're all doomed Cap'n Mainwaring, we're all doomed'!! FFS people get a grip!!

The Sheffield promotion stated on Thursday that will not sign any rider who has a contract to ride in Poland, so none of them will be riding for us Would be good if the only facility for a rider missing a meeting in England was a NL guest as well

I'm sorry to say if I was james I would be looking else where next season after he was the scapegoat for under performing riders last time around if he had been an aussie he may have keep his place just my opinion

That’s because he is gash. If you can’t get signed up in either of your home leagues - that speaks volumes (although probably wants too much dosh for his current abilities!

What sort of an attitude is that?

Probably the most sensible post you've ever made :-)

Good luck to any rider who wants to ride in Poland, but its time for our BSPA to stand firm and rule that no facility will be given when the inevitable fixture clash comes along. For most riders Poland will always be first choice but there`s a number of riders who find out the hard way that its not always sweetness and light.

You can not race against yourself. It is 6 other teams, twice!

Not saying there won't be accusations of manipulation but what would have been your solution to a five team top league then?

It is what it is. I think Buster has saved the Prem as well as keeping one club going, and maybe 2( Don't know what was going on at Ippo) . I'm pretty sure he has done it in the interest of the sport. I suspect there is a buy back clause in there somewhere. No doubt Buster will have a wage limit, but he said Chris will carry on so I don't think theres a worry of fixing meetings, if that's your worry. Buster wouldn't want that and Chris would never agree, and i'm sure he can't wait to get one over the Stars. Looking forward to it.

Good to see your still full of shyte too

If the NL turns into a glorified SDL who is going to pay to watch it. Last season most clubs were charging £13, which was too much for the product on offer. For those clubs left in a watered down NL, it's going to be hard to sell their product to Joe Public.

2 out of 7 not bad guess for a half wit

It is just plain wrong that two or more clubs in the same league are under the influence of the same person/company/promoters. No other self respecting sport allows this and casts massive doubt on the integrity of speedway, the independence of teams and indeed its long term survival. Yes it would be good to have an overall supremo - but that person must have no ties to an individual club/team/league.

If two of the other clubs(or maybe even just one) had pulled out, the Premiership would have folded no matter what Chapman did. It isn't just down to him. However, it is down to him buying into Peterborough & Ipswich that the Premiership is able to continue in 2019. It is typical of the attitude of some members of this forum that a man saving not just a team but an entire league can be twisted into something suitable for negative comment. Its little wonder that the forum itself is often regarded as utterly without credibility.

For what it’s worth I don’t believe Cook and a few others should be anywhere near the Championship, There needs to be a definitive gap between the top two leagues and Cook and some others are too good and too expensive for the Championship. i can’t see the entertainment value in some riders crossing the finishing line when others are entering the third bend

Ha ha ha. Who do you think you are???? I do not care what you want.

I'm pretty sure, Louis will still hold the right's to the assets. A commercial owner is exactly that. He will be able to take any finances that come into the club. This will include all loan fees for any of the club's assets etc. What he will not be allowed to do is sell the assets, this will be down to Louis. It isn't just rider's he cannot sell. This will be assets Louis owns like tractors, graders, etc. In simple terms, a commercial owner is in financial control of all things in and out. Existing assets are out of his control. I wouldn't worry as a Witch fan, your club is in safe hands financially and Louis is still there keeping a close eye. Enjoy your 1st year back in the top flight and be prepared to be thrashed home and away by the Stars, just suck it up Joking aside, really, don't worry

A side issue but this is where the 'asset' system question rears its head again Why should Drew automatically have become a Witches asset (registration holder) in order to have ridden those 7 Championship meetings? Im not saying he wouldnt have chosen too anyway but to have no choice is wrong

Not just the promoters - some of the fans who post on here should be avoided at all costs too

contracted meetings for the full season, with DU a possibility or the chance of the odd match in Poland. If they were forced to make the choice I know which they would choose.

AGM Statement said all riders ridden in the NDL(or NL, CL) will get a 2.5% reduction. It mentions a minimum of 3 for Premiership but nothing in Championship unless old rules apply. It might be for team building purposes only & then when new averages come out in 2019, the minimum of 2 will apply. GREY AREAS AGAIN!

I don't think that would be fair, which doesn't mean they wouldn't do it. Nicolai Klindt is (bizarrely) a 6.61 rider in the Premiership and a 6.94 rider in the Championship (maybe more motivated when riding for Poole?) - surely they would take the highest, i.e. convert the Premiership average to get fair (and more realistic) figure for the 2019 Championship (9.91)?

Both the deals for Ipswich and Peterborough are "Commercial deals" so think we need to know what this actually means.... Has Chapman bought everything or just a chunk to that both clubs would enable the PL to continue with 7 clubs?

I'm no fan of the BSPA or Chapman. They have done nothing this year to show that there is even the beginnings of an effective plan to overcome the many current problems but to suggest that the end is nigh and imminent is ridiculous. It may be that if no radical plan is devised that riders will have to realise that most, if not all, will have to become semi professional but I would be very surprised if team speedway is still not about for the foreseeable future.

Good Idea robin les = No it would be simple to pool all the semi-final & final income & divide on a % basis between the 3 teams. What about this ??? ...................................................( don,t laugh) Top 3 to play-offs. week 1 P/O match 1 1st place team versus 3rd place team week 2 P/O match 2 2nd place team versus 3rd place team week 3 P/O match 3 1st place team versus 2nd place team Usual points awarded as in the league. So the 1st placed team gets 2 home matches,2nd gets 1 home match and the 3rd place gets a chance to get some real glory !!! 3 weeks on BT, i think it would be good to watch with teams trying to get the extra point ! I AGREE 4 teams in the play offs is Naff,and also the play offs would be like the standard league match with T Subs (got to standardise Speedway rules) the league does not use aggregate scores in the regular season. Again don,t laugh !!

If the conversion rate of 1.5 applies to this year's Premiership averages, with a team limit of 38, I would have thought a premiership 6-6.5 point rider would be realistic for a number one for 2019, so maybe Nicholls, King, Wells, or Even Josh Bates could be the Lions number 1. It would be nice if the BSPA published lists of applicable averages for each league for next year.

Because in the Championship you have 11 other teams to race against, as opposed to 6 other teams in the Premiership. Actually quite surprised to see all of the doom and gloom about dropping down to this league. I’m sure the likes of Lakeside fans would take your place in heartbeat!

You may as well delete this thread, black heart started one with the same title two days ago and I know how you hate it when someone does that

That may be Chapman's long term plan. Own as many PL side's as he can, pick off a few more from CL or NL, then form a breakaway competition. Totally under one leadership with no conflict or self interest in the league make up. He's categorically made it clear he loves this sport, I believe him in that. He'll get things wrong, as does any owner or leader does. It's about how, when and how quickly he can recover those mistakes. I believe this AGM has been exactly what was required. By no means just a shuffling of the chairs as some state. He has put his money where his mouth is and for British Speedway overall I cannot sit here and knock someone who's willing to lose it all for the sake of loving a sport. A new 5 year plan is in place. One I also believe is the right direction. Fingers crossed firmly that we can now see some genuine British talent come through also, all the doors are there to come through. The only thing I ask is please Keith Chapman, as a Stars fan, you must make a change to the race track at King's Lynn. It needs to be and should be one of the best tracks in the UK.

We were in a different position as there was a chance of the club not running with Rathbone wanting out so I guess most are just happy that we’re running. I feel uneasy about it all and would like a decent statement from Rathbone as a lot of questions unanswered regarding the whole situation. Comments at the end of last season suggested travelling and the future direction of the sport were his reasons for wanting out. New owner doesn’t change that so would be nice to know why it’s changed and how he’s going to work with chapman which from the outside always looked like a bad relationship between the two, particularly after the whole Jack Hilder mess.

We are positive because we are running next season which again was put in jeopardy.

Given that the Premier and Championship leagues (Promoters) recognize the National League as a training league, I am surprised that they have never included the NL Promoters in their AGM's. The Development Leagues are the lower echelon of speedway and are the real feeder route into the sport. The NL suffers from the fact that riders who improve their averages provide a dilemma for the promoters as they cannot all be included in the following years points averages at this level. Given that the higher leagues seem to prefer to give opportunities to foreign riders then it will remain that very few NL riders will have lengthy careers. There is a need for a joined-up route for youngsters towards the upper echelons of the game. Some of the promoters need to put the riders careers ahead of their own financial gains with a view to creating strength-in-depth with British riders. In the long term supporters, in general, go to watch particular riders and would prefer to see their favourites rising through the leagues rather than dropping out because their averages do no fit. I am not advocating a free for all approach as again just a few clubs would be capable of purchasing the best riders, yet on the other side of the coin then there is something in respect of a Control Body placing riders in teams.

Prob doesn't want it broadcast on the forum!

After taking four and a half points out of the limit I would get used to it, riders averaging around six points are going to become very valuable. Thankfully my team have built teams full of riders like that for years, ironic that with the points limit as it is now they may not take to the track.

Shame about dropping down, although more home meetings gives me more of a chance to visit the OTA as I was only able to attend a couple of meetings last year. I think in terms of the team start with Charles and Nico and then build from there. I would like to see Henry Atkins in Rebels colours due to his history with the club, my only worry is that it might be a little too soon and could knock his confidence going forward.

Actually it would still only be 2.5% over

As for changing the race day to Sunday I know a lot more people who don't work Sundays than who do these days, having been a shift worker for many years I am aware of the issues this can cause. Having read most of the posts on here from those affected by the change I do feel sorry for you, but it would appear that unless they moved up the management are stuck with it. What I do like though is that most who can't do Sundays at Sheffield seem determined to go elsewhere to get their live speedway entertainment next year and that can only be good for the sport in general that existing fans will still be contributing. Sad that they won't be at Owlerton and they will be missed but it may allow others who couldn't do Thursdays to now be there. It's swings and round-a-bouts really but we all must keep going if we don't want to let this sport we love fade away, which is something that keeps threatening to happen year on year.

League winners straight to the final, with pick of home or away in the final 1st leg.. After all the league toppers have done it over a season..2nd and 3rd to battle it out over 2 legs to join them. So top 3 out of 7.

The problem with dropping the NL limit too low is that it will reduce riders careers to 2-3 years max. Half decent new 3 pointer signs or 3 pointer from this year with experience and betters the rest of the newcomers so ends with a 5 point average. Next season that 5 pointer moves up to an 8 point rider. Season after nobody can accommodate them in a NL side but they are not good enough to step up to the Championship so career over.

having seen the recent wage demands of two riders slighly over a 4 average,i think the penny has dropped that all the clowns have done by reducing the average in the CL is to increase the value of lower avaerge riders the two i saw were asking for more than Scunny`s top 3 cost last year there simply isnt enough riders in the 4 to 5 point bracket to go around-- running at 38 points will not reduce cost one bit,it just moves the cost elsewhere better to have gone with 6 rider teams and created a surplus,this would have done more to reduce cost than a lower limit

None that I know of. Indeed, its possible that tracks will close if it is that low, as there is a belief that people won't pay to watch little more than a training session. I really don't see why the NL should be forced to do something that the majority of its members simply don't want, whatever that may be. They should be left alone to decide their own destiny.

How about this, comes to 38.00 exact average, IF ryan is on a 5.2 ave Jason Garrity, Jake Allen, Josh Pickering, Dimitri Berge, Ryan Douglas, Ellis Perks, Anders Rowe

I hope to see Jake back at Scunny….Please!

the last line is quite disturbing . no rider will be able to name his price after all the posts on here pointing out that most, if not all clubs lost money . its time to grab the bull by the horns and waken up . shell out big bucks to top men or reserves will destroy your club . get real people . its sad to see lots of fans wanting fantastic riders , but they dont pay the bills . get real promotors . ho silly money and lots of British riders , if poss !

Maybe he should buy them all. Then it's all equal again.

The big issue for me is, I've lost two of my Local tracks, Lakeside and Rye House in the last couple of months. I wished someone with a few bob could have come in and saved both venues.

That would just leave the bottom clubs trying to lose matches matter in the season so they had an advantage a year later.

One seasons experience of him at Berwick was more than enough to see he wasn’t fit for purpose

Fair play, never having smoked or drunk or gambled. But i have a different perspective. I've known alcoholics who are lovely people. People with gambling addictions. I wouldn't class them as scumbags, given that I happen to like a drink but am lucky enough to be able to choose when I drink. I know a number of people who were incredibly nice until they got hooked on Crystal meth - yes obviously not a smart thing to take, but the scumbags to me are those who sell that crsp not the addicts.